The Racers
by Mitsuko2
Summary: Two mystery racers go against the Akina Speed Stars
1. Default Chapter

The Racers  
  
Takumi roared past the finish line, hundreds of yards in front of his opponent. As usual, he had won the Akina downhill race. His team, the Akina Speed stars, came to meet him when he had driven back to the top.  
"That's my boy," Koichiro (Cole) said, grinning wide. He was the captain of the team, and was the first to convince Takumi to race. "Those punks thought they'd dust us easy, but you made them cry."  
"Yeah," Itsuki (Iggy) agreed, Takumi's best friend. "The minute you took off, they were putting bets their man would win, but you should've been here when the lookout reported how you pulled right in front of them in the turn." He laughed with glee. "Talk about embarrassment!"  
Takumi smiled in his slow easy way. He was the best racer, possibly in all Japan, but Takumi was modest, and very casual about it. He knew he was good, that was all. "It's almost one. Think I better go home and hit the sack."  
The others nodded, started to walk back to their cars. The opponent's team had beaten it out of there as soon as the race was over, to try and save face. No other race was scheduled, so the crowd had dispersed already.  
Which is why when they heard a car gunning it up the road, they all stopped, startled. "Hey, that's a modified engine . . . " Itsuki said in awe. The high rpm (revs per minute) of the tuned turbo engine was easy to distinguish from a regular model car. Screeching sounds reached their ears next, the definitive sound of a car drifting. "It's a racer!"  
A second later there was another screech. "Wait, two racers?" Everybody got out of their cars, waiting for the mystery racers to appear. Takumi got out, waited patiently, simply curious about who it was.  
They soon appeared around the bend. The cars were two white ones, with spoilers on the back and front. They stopped in front of the group, right next to each other. No stickers . . . The identification sticker to show what team you belonged to, usually located on the back, was missing. Koichiro glanced in front to see if it was there, but it wasn't. So these guys must be newbies . . . Or independents. Now that they were in front of them, they could see one was a Nissan Silvia (S14), while the other was a Mazda RX-7 (FC3S).  
Car doors opened. Everyone was watching, waiting to see who these new racers were, breaths held . . .  
The driver of the blue car was a teenage boy, about 16. His dark black hair was cropped short, with the color almost matching his eyes. His clothes screamed cool. He was wearing jeans with skateboard shoes, and a shirt with a logo on it. The guy was also tall. He was as tall as Koichiro, at 5'7. Takumi looked at him. His expression was serious as he faced the other racers, but he was definitely casual, from the way his shoelaces mismatched (gray and black) to how his well-built arms relaxed by his sides.  
The other driver made all their hearts skip. Except for the two in Usui, there were no other girl racers. Takumi's eyebrows went up. This was no typical racer chick, wearing short skirts and low-cut blouses. She wore jeans that cut off at the knees, with a plain white blouse that revealed nothing but a thin body frame, shorter then the boy. Her arms were extremely thin, and very weak looking. How can those little arms control a car? Takumi wondered. The Red Suns leaders, Keisuke and Ryosuke Takahashi, both drove RX-7's. They were renowned for their skills. The car had lots of power, but if you couldn't control it, then you ended up smashed into a wall. RX-7's however, were also known for their control through turns. The car Ay drove, happened to be the same model as Ryosuke's.  
She leaned on the car, those thin arms crossed, as she studied the other racers. Her eyes were the same dark color, although her long hair, tied back in a ponytail, was brown. Facial similarities led Takumi to guess they were related.  
"Um, hi," Koichiro said, with a friendly smile. Since this was their turf, he was in charge of introductions. "I'm Koichiro, leader of the Akina Speed stars. What team do you come from?"  
"We're not with a team," the boy replied. Nothing changed in his cool, even expression. "We just wanted to come and race."  
"Nothing wrong with that, right?" the girl added, one corner of her mouth pulling up in a smile.  
Takumi was pretty sure that since they weren't with a team, they were probably complete amateurs, with nice new cars, and they felt like trying to race some pros. Spoiled rich kids. He'd met them before, and he really disliked them.  
"I'm sorry," the girl suddenly said. "I'm Ayako, nickname Ay. This is my brother, Kakashi. Um, his nickname is . . . " she glanced over at him.  
"Tofu," he announced, with an extremely straight face. The other racers broke up laughing.  
"Tofu?!" Koichiro cried. "What kind of a name is that?!" Takumi struggled to stifle his laughs. Itsuki was howling with laughter.  
Kakashi-Tofu-shrugged, smiling playfully. "Well, it's original. Can't imagine anyone else taking it."  
Koichiro nodded soberly in agreement, although he was still grinning. "Yeah, you got that right. So what are you here for? Surely not to just talk with us, right?"  
Tofu nodded. "Correct. I want a race-" he gestured towards Takumi. "With him."  
Koichiro held up his hands. "Whoa, slow down. I don't think you know what you're getting into. Takumi's the best drifter around. Newbies would be no match for him."  
Tofu's expression changed to stone. "What makes you think I'm a newbie?" Ay stared at him, with an inscrutable expression. Koichiro shrugged.  
"Look," Koichiro kindly suggested, "I'm the leader of this team. Why don't you challenge me first, then, if you win, you can challenge Takumi. " Takumi sighed. He might have to race again. Itsuki glanced at him.  
"No worries," he said, reading Takumi's sigh. "Koichiro'll dust this rich kid!"  
Takumi shook his head, starting to have some serious doubts. The way they carried themselves, confident and wary, signaled something else. They were not being outright arrogant like a rich kid would; they were quiet, calculating . . . Hm . . .  
Tofu looked at Koichiro for a moment. "If I win, I can race Takumi?"  
Koichiro nodded. "Yup. Deal?"  
He looked up, thinking. "Um . . . Tell you what, I don't really want to run this car down, so I'll let my sister race you. Then if she wins, I get to race Takumi. How about that?" He smiled, the confidant smile of someone that's just won at chess.  
Huh?! All heads turned towards the diminutive girl standing by the RX- 7. "Her? Race Koichiro?!" It was plain everyone thought Tofu was out of his mind.  
"Er, you sure about this?" Koichiro glanced at Ay, leaning against her car. He didn't want to make her cry or anything like that.  
"Yeah, I'm sure. Deal?" Tofu held out his hand. Koichiro grasped it without hesitation. He would win this race easy, even if she did drive a RX- 7.  
Too bad he missed the way Ay smiled slowly as he shook Tofu's hand. "Deal."  
Their cars pulled up to the starting line. The team and some that stayed behind started to whoop and cheer. RX-7 versus Koichiro's Silvia S13. Koichiro grinned. He would smoke these rich kids, who thought they could challenge real racers. Takumi tapped on Koichiro's windows.  
"Hey, watch yourself," he whispered. "I'm not sure what those two are pulling-" he glanced at them, "but you better be on your guard."  
Koichiro waved off his concern. "Aw, relax. Thanks for the concern, but I think I can manage a little girl."  
Takumi shrugged, and then walked off to watch. He'd tried.  
"Ready?" the starter person shouted. The engines revved, both drivers gave thumbs-up. "All right, ready-"  
Koichiro glanced over at Ay. She stared straight ahead, face expressionless. She's probably thinking she'll lose.  
"Set? GO!" Feet slammed down on gas pedals, hands grasped at gearshifts, and the two cars were off, in a roar of engines and exhaust. Takumi watched them go with some apprehension.  
To everyone's surprise, Koichiro's Silvia pulled out in front on the straightaway. Strange, he thought. The RX-7 has the higher power. Why isn't she using it?  
The first turn was coming up. Koichiro got through it, but his drifting definitely wasn't as good as Takumi's. With his car, the rear end always started to slide, and he had to fight to keep from spinning out. Takumi's drift could clear inches from the guardrail, and catch up with the car in front. He glanced in his rearview mirror.  
Ay cornered it, without bothering to shift gear. And from the speed she was turning it, she had to be in forth gear. Holy cow, what nut races in forth gear on Akina? He himself was going in second gear.  
They whipped through the course, Koichiro growing more nervous with each turn. Ay wasn't driving like an amateur. She was downshift drifting, using the brake pedal going through the turn, wheels screeching. As far as he could tell, she was barely slowing down before each turn. It took either a lucky fool, or a genius to do what she was doing. Just who the hell is she?  
Koichiro was sweating. For the first time since the race started, he was wondering if he was going to win.  
Ay, sitting in the RX-7 behind him, sighed impatiently, then shifted up. "Let's go." She pressed down the gas, the speedometer zooming up to 150. Her car sped towards Koichiro's white one.  
Koichiro jumped out of his bones. One second she was 20 meters behind, suddenly she was breathing down his bumper. Only an inch or two separated them, he was sure. They were on the straight road, just before the five hairpin turns.  
Ay pulled out in front. Her white car zoomed away like a comet, but Koichiro was worried, not about the fact he might lose, but what danger Ay was driving into. "Ay! Slow down!! There's hairpin turns coming up!!" he shouted at her car, but she was so far away, she probably didn't hear. Koichiro groaned. They might be heading to the hospital.  
She may have the speed, but she definitely doesn't know this area. This is my turf. There's no way she'll be able to get through Akina's Five Deadly Hairpins.  
The hairpins were five extremely tight turns, one after the other. It was hard enough at normal speed. For racers, gunning it at least a 100 miles, it was a challenge. Those that made mistakes were lucky to leave alive. Second, the racer familiar with the course will always have the advantage over a newcomer, even if it's a RX-7 against a Silvia. Ay knew it. She should've played follow a while longer, learning the turf, seeing what lines to follow in a turn, the technique Ryosuke applied against Takumi. But the way the Silvia drifted, he looked like he was going to lose control on every turn. The rear end slides so easily during the drift. Just one tap, and it'll spin out, Ay thought. No, it would be better to drift it without following. She braked, slowing down. KERCHUNK-she downshifted into forth gear. No sense coming out in pieces.  
She released the gas. Her dark, intense eyes spotted where her line of drift was . . . Okay, okay . . . Now! Her foot slammed the brake pedal, her hands whipping the wheel across. She was drifting it. SCCCRREEEECCCHHH--Wheels squealing, smoke flying, her rear-end barely cleared the inch-thick guardrail, but she was through. Koichiro had to concentrate on his own drift then, but already he knew it in his guts.  
He'd lost.  
Still, Ay really didn't know what she was doing. She was drifting, yes, but even then, her wheels were slipping off the road, and she almost banged into the walls and guardrail. Grass and dirt were flying, but she still maintained her high speed. Koichiro's car was barely keeping up.  
Koichiro and Ay pulled through the hairpins. As soon as they did, Ay's car drove away, engine revving in the high tone that signaled speed.  
"Holy-Holy, I don't believe it!! Holy crap, how, how-" stammered the guy placed as lookout over the short straightaway.  
"Come on! What happened?" Kenji shouted into the radio. He was another Akina Speed Star, one of Koichiro's best friends. "Well? Don't just clam up!"  
"That girl-she-she-drifted through the hairpins."  
There was a moment of shocked silence. Then they all cried, "WHHHAAAAATT?!"  
"No way! Hey, their cars are the same color, maybe you just made a mistake," Kenji suggested. There was no way a driver who'd never seen Akina before, could drift through the hairpins without losing it.  
"No, it was her car! She has different headlights. She didn't drift perfectly-I could hear her wheels screeching like a devil, and she almost crashed a few times, but she pulled it off. She stayed in front of Koichiro too." The awe was evident in his voice.  
Kenji just stared into space, shocked into silence. "Awesome . . . " Tofu seemed unsurprised at this. Takumi sighed. He'd expected it.  
Itsuki was almost in tears. "You mean-Koichiro lost?!"  
"Sounds like it. There's no way Koichiro's car can catch up with the RX-7 she drives," Kenji told them sadly. "Once you come out of the hairpins, whoever is in front practically wins. The RX-7 probably zoomed down that straightaway before Koichiro could recover."  
Ay pulled up, the RX-7 hundreds of yards in front of the Silvia. Ay stepped out, looking cool and casual. Like she'd done nothing but run a straight course, and not drifted a course she never saw before. She started to check her car over for scrapes and dents.  
Koichiro pulled up. He immediately jumped out, his face suspicious, maybe a little pissed. "All right, just who are you guys? Are you with the Red Suns, like, undercover agents, or something? Because there's no way in hell you could drift that." Koichiro's eyes lit up. "You've been here before, haven't you? Practicing until you had the skills to beat us, huh?" Ay and Tofu just stood there, silent, looking at him.  
"Koichiro's kind of ranting, isn't he?" Takumi said to Itsuki.  
Itsuki sighed. "He just got beaten by somebody that never came here before. He had the home turf advantage, and he lost. Even more worse," he said, looking over at Ay, "he lost to a girl. Man, his racer and man pride is hurt."  
Before Koichiro could launch into another accusation, Ay raised a hand. Kenji put a restraining hand on Koichiro's shoulder, and he fell silent and sullen. "We're not double-agents," Ay said, looking amused by the idea. "We're not with any team either. We've just been driving for a while, and we heard about the Akina downhill specialist. So," she shrugged, "we decided to check it out."  
Koichiro seemed calmer now, so Kenji stepped back. "Oh. I see. And where do you come from?" he asked, voice steady, although it sounded quite hollow.  
"Osaka," Tofu replied.  
Osaka! Koichiro's face was stunned. If those two learned drifting on Osaka, it was no wonder Ay had dusted him. Osaka was where the legendary drifter himself, Drifter X, practiced.  
"Oh, one more thing," Tofu said, his eyes dancing with humor. "If you think Ay's good, she's actually not that great compared to me." Ay grinned sheepishly.  
Koichiro was again stunned. Awe was written in everyone's face. Tofu is better then Ay? He glanced at Takumi, who as usual, looked cool and relaxed. And he's going to challenge Takumi . . . Then again, nobody thought Takumi could win against Ryosuke, the Red Suns leader. And Takumi had won. But . . .  
Takumi got into the car, sure that he would win. He was going up against a car he never saw before, a driver he never saw drive before. But the course was something he'd been driving for years.  
Ay and Tofu exchanged nods. What they were thinking was beyond anyone's guess. "Smoke him," Ay told him.  
"Shouldn't be too hard," Tofu replied, grinning. He got into his Silvia.  
The car Tofu drove was similar to Koichiro's, in that they were both Silvias. However, the newer model Tofu drove had more speed, plus control. It was a car made for drifting, something Tofu did quite well.  
Takumi's 86 Trueno was so old, it didn't even have ABS (automatic braking system) on it. It didn't have the speed of the Silvia, but it cornered great in turns, making it a drifting car. Suspensions and tires perfectly tuned to Akina by Takumi's father, the legendary drifter Bunta, made this car a very formidable one indeed. The driver too, had been drifting this place since middle school. The two cars lined up, Trueno 86 versus S14 Silvia. "Ready?"  
Koichiro watched them intently. He had faith in Takumi's ability, but against someone they never heard about before . . . He found himself suddenly praying fervently Takumi would win. Itsuki looked very nervous as well. "Oh man, come on Takumi, please win . . . " he moaned.  
Ay stood next to them, watching silently.  
"Set . . . " The Silvia engine growled in reply. Both drivers' faces were focused on the road ahead.  
"GO!" SCCCREEEECHHH . . . The cars shot forward, the Silvia in front of the slower Trueno. Soon, they disappeared from sight. All they could see of them was their headlights on the trees, and hear the high rpm of the engines.  
"Good luck Takumi," Koichiro said. 


	2. Ch2 Tofu vs Takumi

With Koichiro, Itsuki, Kenji, and the rest watching fearfully, Tofu and Takumi sped away and out of sight. Only Ay's expression was unconcerned.  
Tofu's car immediately pulled out in front. He cornered the turn very fast. But Takumi's superb drifting closed the gap again. Tofu only smiled. He knew how good the Akina drifter was. And this race wouldn't be worth anything if he didn't get a good fight. Bring it on, 86.  
Tofu whipped his car around the turn again, mere inches from the guardrail. Takumi followed suit. Their bumpers were extremely close. Takumi couldn't pass him though, for Tofu was successfully keeping him blocked.  
Takumi was surprised when he saw Tofu drift the first turn. That's strange. How could he know where the line is? The line Takumi is referring to is the line drifters follow in the turn. Stray too much from it, and you end up spinning out, or crashing. Speed is important too. Too fast, and you lose control. Ay pushed her speed to the limits when drifting, barely staying in control.  
Which is why, in unfamiliar territory, there is much danger racing it. The driver doesn't have a clue of the road, where the drift lines are in the turns, and so on.  
Tofu seemed to be showing an uncanny instinct for where the drift line was. And this was the first time he ever saw the course too. Even Ryosuke Takahashi, in his battle against Takumi, followed him for a while until he knew where the drift lines were.  
Takumi wasn't scared though, just surprised. And even more determined to beat him.  
SCCCCCRRREEECCCHHH-Tofu didn't even bother to downshift. He blew through the turn in fifth gear, and came zooming out of it. Takumi drifted it as close as he could to the inside, but already there was a huge gap between his car and Tofu's. It was just a white blur, peeling around the other turn, screeching like a burned cat.  
Tofu glanced in his mirror. What? I pulled away already? I didn't even get to the hairpins yet. Shoot. Slightly disappointed in such a slow battle, he slowed down his car. There, I'll give you chance.  
Takumi came around the turn, and was shocked to see Tofu slowing down as though he was waiting for him. What? Am I too slow for him, or something? Anger coursed through him, caused him to tighten his grip on the wheel, and his eyes, usually relaxed and laid-back, suddenly looked like hot burning coals. "Not enough competition, huh? I'll show you a race!!" he yelled. With that he shifted gear machine-gun style, up to forth gear. He slammed the gas pedal. With a screech of wheels, the 86 pulled up to the S14.  
Tofu grinned. Looks like I pissed him off. Good. He pulled up the clutch, pressed his foot on the gas, then sped away, the 86 giving chase.  
When racing, your emotions always have to be in control. Takumi, who was furious as hell, was allowing his anger to get the better of him. They came to a sharp turn. Tofu drifted it smoothly, but the 86 plunged straight through, without bothering to switch gears. His rear slid off the road, throwing up a wide track of dust. His car lost traction, and thus, speed.  
Tofu was shaking his head. He's losing control. Glancing in his rearview mirror, he could see the driver was plainly mad. The 86 roared over the embankment, and actually smacked its bumper off a guardrail, using the momentum to close the gap further. He was driving like a man possessed, for this is what happened when Takumi got mad. He drove faster, plus more wildly. Few racers got to see this.  
"Er, Ay?" Itsuki asked. His heart was thumping madly as she turned towards him. It would be so cool to have a girlfriend that was into cars. Too bad she was a better driver then he. He felt his self-esteem deflate at the thought.  
"Yes?" she asked, looking at him with those dark eyes and long brown hair . . . Even his feet were sweating.  
"Er, if, um, you know, you want to learn to drift this course better . . . " Itsuki fidgeted nervously. "I . . . Being a local . . . Could, um . . . "  
Ay smiled. "Sorry, but I don't really think I'll be coming back soon."  
Itsuki's shoulders slumped. Shoot, and she was really nice too . . . Koichiro and Kenji, listening to Itsuki's sad pass, stifled their giggles and guffaws.  
"Not coming back? Why not?" Itsuki asked, out of curiosity.  
"Well, Osaka is pretty far. We had to spend a fortune in gas just to get here, so no sense in coming back anytime soon. And, I don't think you'll want to teach me to drift," Ay bluntly told him. Itsuki's shoulders slumped again. She was right. She drifted better then he ever would . . . No need to wound his manly pride was what she was saying.  
"Tofu teaches me to drift, actually," she said.  
"How long have you been going?" Koichiro asked. He expected years.  
"Oh . . . About a year?" Ay replied.  
"A year!! And he can drift like that?!" Koichiro was once again stunned. How many surprises does this duo have up their sleeves?  
"Well, I've been practicing for about a year already, but Tofu just got his license," Ay told them. "We've been going up and down Osaka a lot."  
So that's where Tofu and Ay got their drifting skills . . . Still, how does he manage to drift in Akina, someplace he never saw before? Koichiro thought. He must have a wicked set of reflexes, he realized. When he sees the corner, he just goes. Doesn't think about it or nothing. Wow . . .  
Koichiro was right. Tofu possessed very fast reflexes and reaction speed. When he saw the drift, he went for it. He didn't stop to think about it, he just drifted. Instinct guided him, as well as experience and knowledge. Tofu was a formidable opponent indeed.  
To the battle between Tofu and Takumi, revving it up on the road. Takumi was pushing his car to the limits, but Tofu was drifting fast through the turns. The gap between them steadily grew bigger.  
Takumi gritted his teeth. There was a turn coming up, a real sharp one. Time to use that trick . . . He dropped his wheels into the gutter. By doing so, he counteracted the centrifugal force of the curve, gained a grip that his tires usually couldn't, and could gun it without having to worry about spinning out.  
He gained a couple of yards, but it wasn't enough. Tofu's car was around the next turn already. Even my gutter trick went bust! Takumi's hands clenched hard on the steering wheel. For the first time, the very first time since he started racing, he might actually lose.  
The place to catch him will be in the hairpins, Takumi thought. Ay managed to drift it though, so Tofu probably can too. His face was tense, concentrated. I have to go through these corners faster then him!  
The five hairpins were coming up. Both racers slowed, then downshifted . . . And drifted.  
The cars flew through the turn in a fluid motion. Takumi gained little ground, but not much. Tofu handled his Silvia like an extension of himself, smooth and cool. He was going through the corners as though he'd seen them before, as thought it was second nature, like Takumi.  
The next hairpin, Tofu drifted it as easily as before, but he'd noticed a slight drag in the wheels. He groaned inwardly. He knew what happened. I forgot how much strain the drifting and sharp corners would do. My tires are worn down. They're starting to slip, and just when I need them too!  
Hell. Then again . . . Tofu glanced back, at the 86 struggling to keep up. The race is almost over. If he doesn't pass me now, he'll never pass.  
Takumi had bridged the gap between them slightly. Now it was only three yards that separated them. They drifted the forth hairpin, and, using his years of experience plus a perfectly tuned car, Takumi managed to catch up with Tofu at last.  
The final hairpin was coming up. They drifted it, Takumi inches from Tofu's bumper. He pressed down the gas. Takumi could almost pass him . . . Suddenly Tofu's car started to swing out in a wider line. Takumi had to step on the brakes, for Tofu had just successfully blocked the road. He did it during a drift! How? Not even Takumi attempted maneuvers like that during a drift. Too dangerous, for one little mistake, and you go flying off the road.  
"Holy-Holy, holy, how how-"  
"Hey, you ain't going to be our lookout anymore if all you say is 'holy.' Now what's happening?!" Kenji asked.  
"Tofu's ahead of Takumi! Takumi tried to pass during the drift, but- Tofu blocked him! During the drift! And-" There was the loud roar of engines passing by. "Takumi's in the back now. There's no way he can catch up the Silvia now." The depression was evident in his voice.  
"So-We lost." Koichiro said, looking down. Itsuki and Kenji did the same, looking like they had just lost their best friends.  
Ay only smiled.  
They pulled up a while later. Tofu was smiling, while Takumi looked disappointed and deflated. He had lost for the first time.  
"Good race," Tofu said, shaking Takumi's hand.  
Takumi shook his hand. "Yeah, but I'm only good cause I've been doing this mountain for a long time. Probably wasn't much for you."  
Tofu waved it off with his hand. "Nope, you got skills all right. Be proud." He grinned. "I am."  
Koichiro sighed, and then shook Tofu's hand. "Hell, you're good," he acquiesced. "Got some skills man, to beat Takumi." Tofu acknowledged the comment with a nod.  
Ay cleared her throat urgently. "If we don't start driving back now, we'll make it home around noon." She got into her car decisively. "So I suggest leaving now." She turned to Koichiro, Itsuki and Kenji, still looking stunned at their loss. "Hey, thanks for the race. Next time you happen to be near Osaka, come up the hill." She flashed them a smile. With a roar, Ay gunned it, and was soon gone.  
Tofu got into his own car, and started the engine. Takumi had several questions to ask, so he asked the most important one before Tofu could drive off-  
"That block you did in the drift," he said. "How did you learn to do that?"  
Tofu grinned, then turned off the engine. "Funny story about that. When me and Ayako were learning to drift, we would go together, with me behind to watch her technique."  
Takumi nodded. Koichiro and the rest were listening intently. They might learn something that would help their own techniques.  
"Well, you've seen Ayako drive," Tofu continued. "When she was just learning, her car would be all over the road. Driving behind her was dangerous. You couldn't tell where her car was going to go next. And the road's narrow, so there isn't much room to dodge."  
Their breaths were held. What piece of sage wisdom would Tofu impart to them?  
"So I had to learn how to maneuver during a drift, otherwise we'd both end up crashed. Worked out pretty good, making me learn techniques that gave me an advantage," Tofu finished, smiling.  
Takumi, Koichiro, and Kenji only stared in disbelief. Itsuki was the one to speak. "You learned that just by following a bad drifter?" he said, echoing everyone's thoughts.  
Tofu nodded sagely. "Yup." He started the engine. "Better go. Remember, Osaka's open anytime!" With a wave, the white car sped off, wheels smoking.  
Koichiro and the others only stared after him. They had just seen the stuff of legends in that battle tonight . . . "Man, there's no way I'll be able to sleep tonight."  
"Yeah, now that was a battle," Kenji agreed.  
Itsuki turned to his best friend. "Don't feel bad Takumi. There had to be a time when you would lose."  
Takumi shrugged. "Actually, I feel okay." He looked off into the direction Tofu drove down, as though he could see his car. "I was giving everything I had to keep up with him. I never did that before on my turf. It was really exciting," he said.  
Koichiro slapped him on the back, glad to see Takumi the unbeatable not wallowing in depression. "All right, let's go out to Osaka sometime. Try and beat Tofu on his turf."  
Takumi smiled. "That should be interesting," he said evenly.  
To his surprise, Takumi was looking forward to it. Tofu was a challenge. Someone that had beat him on Akina, and Takumi wasn't going to let him get away with it. Indeed, there was a score to settle.  
"Osaka . . ." 


End file.
